It’s been a while since I’ve shared what I am reading and listening to. In the past couple of days I read one blogpost and listened to two podcast episodes that I think are worth your attention.
At the top of my bookmarks for non-diabetes blogs is a website titled Heart Sisters. This blog is self-described as “All about women and heart disease – our #1 killer – from the unique perspective of CAROLYN THOMAS, a Mayo Clinic-trained women’s health advocate, heart attack survivor, blogger, speaker.”
Currently I do not have heart disease although as a woman in her 60’s with Type 1 diabetes, I know that I am at risk. The appeal of this website for me has less to do with heart disease and more to do with the shared experiences of women (really all people) living with a chronic disease.
On October 17, Thomas published a blogpost titled “How Minimally Disruptive Medicine is happily disrupting health care.” She highlights the Mayo Clinic’s KER (Knowledge & Education Research) team led by Dr. Victor Montori. Dr. Montori is well-known for his discussions of the chronically-ill patient’s “burden of treatment” and is a proponent of eliminating terms such as “non-compliant” and “non-adherent.”
Those of us with diabetes are experts at recognizing the burden that our care places on our lives. Thomas shares a quote from a 46-year old woman (V. T. Tran interview) whose comments will hit home for many of us:
“There is stuff that I am SUPPOSED to do, and stuff that I actually DO. If I did everything I am SUPPOSED to do, my life would revolve around doctors and tests and such and there wouldn’t be very much left for living my life.”
I strongly urge you to read this blogpost and dream about an ideal world where medical professionals no longer blame patients and instead work towards patient health goals with a secondary emphasis on diagnostic test numbers.
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Juicebox Podcast is an offshoot of the well-known diabetes parenting blog Arden’s Day. In 2007 Scott Benner began sharing life stories after his daughter Arden was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at age 2. Scott proudly proclaims that he is a stay-at-home dad and the author of Life Is Short, Laundry Is Eternal: Confessions of a Stay-At-Home Dad. Never one to shy away from a challenge, Benner began a podcast in early 2015 and named it after the numerous juiceboxes his daughter has consumed to treat low blood sugars.
This weekend while walking the dog, I listened to two Juicebox Podcast episodes which focused on Dexcom. Episode #27 was an interview with Kevin Sayer who is the CEO of Dexcom. Rather than recreate the wheel, I’ll share Scott’s synopsis of the episode: “Dexcom CEO Kevin Sayer talks about the Dexcom/Google collaboration, pump integration, Android and iOS/CGM in the Cloud issues, Medicare, Medicaid, Adhesive concerns…. Sayer was an open book who dished about things that I thought for sure he’d decline to speak about.”
Episode #28 was an interview with Steve Pacelli who is Dexcom’s Executive VP of Strategy & Corporate Development. Once again per Benner: “Just 24 hours after the surprise FDA approval of the Dexcom G5 continuous glucose monitoring system, I spoke with Dexcom EVP Steven Pacelli and asked him all of the questions that were submitted to me by my blog readers and podcast listeners – I even threw in a few of my own. If you’re wondering about Dexcom G5 upgrading, cost, out of pocket, battery life and more?”
Both of these Dexcom interviews were released in August and some of the G5 discussion is a bit dated. A minor point because both conversations are fascinating with insider views of Dexcom’s past, present, and future. I found Sayer’s discussion of the Google/Dexcom collaboration to be particularly interesting with his views on device miniaturization and the possibilities for the Type 2 market.
As an adult with Type 1 diabetes, I am not necessarily the Juicebox Podcast‘s target audience—parents of children with T1. Some of Benner’s interviews focus on parenting issues such as 504 plans/talking with school administrators and I skip those. Many are interviews with other T1 parents sharing their unique stories. I listen to and enjoy those podcasts while giving thanks that I live with Type 1 rather than my children. Finally there are interviews with people such as NASCAR driver Ryan Reed, American Idol contestant Adam Lasher, John Costik of Nightscout, and the two Dexcom executives that are interesting to anyone with a connection to diabetes.
I subscribe to the Jukebox Podcast through iTunes and new episodes are automatically downloaded to my iPhone podcast app. You can also listen to individual episodes through iTunes.
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Summary:
Read this! How Minimally Disruptive Medicine is happily disrupting health care
Listen to this! Dexcom CEO Kevin Sayer Talks
Listen to this! Dexcom G5 Approval with Dexcom EVP Steve Pacelli
Test Guess and Go 
Hi Laddie – thanks so much for your kind words about (and links to) my Heart Sisters blog post on Minimally Disruptive Medicine.
I especially appreciated this comment: “The appeal of this website for me has less to do with heart disease and more to do with the shared experiences of women (really all people) living with a chronic disease.” Reading that line is so gratifying for me!
Although my focus IS usually on women’s heart health, I know that I do have many, many readers who live with chronic illness diagnoses EXCEPT heart disease! What we all share is that experience of being a patient – which is why Dr. Montori’s work on Minimally Disruptive Medicine and the patient’s “burden of treatment” resonates with so many of us.
Thank you again and keep up the great work you do here.
regards,
C.
Laddie,
You have done what you truly do best and that is give props to otehr great content. I have a new bookmark dealing with heart disease. Thank you for pointing me in the general direction. .
rick